Fuscidea cyathoides
≡Lichen cyathoides Ach., Lichenogr. suec. prodr.: 62 (1799) ["1798"].
=?Finerania neozelandica C.W. Dodge, Nova Hedwigia 19: 460 (1971)["1970"].
Finerania neozelandica. Holotype: New Zealand. Auckland Is, Hooker Hills, Cave Rock, on rock outcrop, 27.i.1966, B.A. Fineran 2099 – CANU.
Description : Thallus closely attached, spreading in patches among other lichens, 2–2.5 cm diam., 150–250 μm thick, delimited at margins and at junctions with other lichens by a thin, black prothalline line. Upper surface smooth, olive grey-green, irregularly areolate, the areolae angular, 0.2–0.8 mm diam., separated by gaping cracks. Photobiont green, cells globose, 12.5–15 μm diam. Apothecia round to irregular, 0.1–0.2(–0.5) mm diam., scattered, solitary or 2–4-together, plane with surface or subinnate, proper margin concolorous with disc, entire, slightly raised at first or disappearing; disc coal-black, plane to subconcave, matt or glossy, epruinose. Epithecium brown, 7–5–12.5 μm thick. Hymenium colourless, slightly inspersed with minute oil droplets, 35–50(–60) μm tall. Paraphyses strongly conglutinate, simple, not much branched at apices, 1.5–2.5 μm thick, apices brown, swollen, to 5–6 μm diam. Hypothecium colourless, rather thin, 25–38 μm thick. Asci clavate, 45–50 × 12.5–15 μm, with a massive tholus, 10–12.5 μm thick. Ascospores fabiform, or sausage-like, colourless, simple or spuriously 1-septate, (10–)12.5–15 × 5–6 μm.
Chemistry : Thallus K+ brownish yellow, C−, KC−, Pd+ rust-red; containing fumarprotocetraric acid.
A: (Hooker Hills, Port Ross). On lowland rock outcrop. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, North & South America, Africa, Japan (Oberhollenzer & Wirth 1984; Purvis et al. 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Esslinger & Egan 1995; Scholz 2000; Coppins 2002b; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Santeson et al. 2004).
Cosmopolitan
Illustrations : Moberg & Holmåsen (1982: 126); Oberhollenzer & Wirth (1984: 545, fig. 2; 553, fig. 3; 555, fig. 4; 556, fig. 5; 595, tab. 1); Foucard (1990: pl. 97); Poelt (1994: 275, fig. 1C); Wirth (1995a: 401); Dobson (2000: 160; 2005: 177); Lumbsch et al. (2001a: 31).
Fuscidea cf. cyathoides is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the smooth, olive grey-green, areolate thallus; plane to subimmersed, small black apothecia; and fabiform ascospores, (10–)12.5–15 × 5–6 μm. The taxon Finerania neozelandica is here tentatively included in Fuscidea cyathoides and the description given above is from the type specimen of F. neozelandica. However it differs in several aspects from typical Northern Hemisphere material (see also Kantvilas 2001: 189–190) and requires further study and collection. It differs from Schaereria fabispora (q.v.) in the colour of the epithecium.
